Fire-escape



(HOModeL) T. BIUKERTON.

Fire Escape.

No. 232,234. Patented Sept. 14,1880.

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- ATTORNEYS.

NJ'ETERS. PHOTU-LITHOGRAFHER,'WASHINGTON. D C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS BIOKERTON, OF LAWRENCE, KANSAS.

Fl RE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,234, dated September 14, 1880. Application filed June 15, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS BICKER'ION, of Lawrence, in the county of Douglas and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Safety Life-(Jot, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a device to be used at fires to receive persons jumping from windows.

It is well known that in the burning of factories, hotels, and private dwellings serious injury to the person and loss of life is of frequent occurrence because of persons jumping from windows.

This invention is designed to prevent the occurrence of such accidents; and it consists of a frame lined on sides and ends with mattresses, and having a movable bottom consisting of a mattress suspended by elastic cords.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device with the bottom mattress removed to exhibit its supports. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the device.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A represents the frame of the cot, consisting of four cornerposts, B B, connected near their lower ends by horizontal cross-beams O (l, and braced by diagonal braces D 1), extending from said beams GO to the posts B B.

E E are the side and end lining-mattresses, provided on the outside with loops at a, and held in position by strong elastic bands F F, that pass through said loops to a and through the staples b b, that are driven into the outside of the posts B B, each mattress E being pro vided with one or more rows of theloops a a, and each post B being provided with two or more staples, I) I), to give sufficient support to the said mattress-bands.

G is a strong latticed frame, composed of side and end timbers, c c, and crossing elastic bands 01 (Z, suspended from the posts B B by strong elastic cords H H, so that said frame G may yield from three to four feet, or thereabout, when a person jumps into the cot. These elastic cords H H may be more or less in number, as may be deemed best adapted to sustain the weight of the person jumping into the cot, and as said cords H H are preferably engaged on hooks f, fixed in the frame G, their number can quickly be increased or diminished as desired.

I represents the mattress covering the frame G.

It is designed that this cot be set on wheels or on a truck for easy transportation, and to be light enough to be easily lifted by three or four men over fences and other obstructions on the way to a fire, and it is also designed to have the mattresses covered with rubber cloth to keep them dry, and that the said covering shall be white, that the cot may be more easily seen and observed by persons in the burning building.

The cot is to be placed beneath the windows to receive any one jumping or falling there from.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A safety life-cot constructed substantially herein shown and described, consistin g of frame A, lining-mattresses E E, secured by bands F F and staples I) b, lattieed and elastic suspended horizontal frame G, and mattress I, as set forth.

2. In a safetylife-cot, the combination, with the side lining-mattresses, F F, of the bottom mattress, I, and lattieed frame G, suspended by elastic cords H H, substantially as herein shown and described.

THQMAS BIGKERTON.

Witnesses:

Guns. OHADwIoK, J AMES M. HENDRY. 

